If you haven’t already checked out the ’smitten kitchen’ food blog then do. Not only is it one of the first blogs that I was introduced to but it is a prime example of a fantastically interesting, honest, varied and drool-worthy food blog created by a passionate foodie who cooks from the heart simply because, like me, she is addicted- cooking is my happy place. However, more so, she has been one of the lucky ducks to get her humble blog made into a cook book. I can only dream of this priceless achievement! However, this is not going to happen by cooking other peoples recipes but the sound of cinnamon (one of my favourite flavours), gooey promises and the multiple times I had clicked on the recipe link only to mutter ‘I must make that’, prompted this recent cake-tin-filler. Here is the original recipe for those interested.
Base
- 190g plain flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- 115g butter, room temp
- 150g sugar
- 1 egg, room temp
- 60 ml whole milk
- ¼ tsp salt
Gooey Top
- 60ml golden syrup
- 60ml whole milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 170g butter, room temp
- 225g sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg, room temp
- 155g plain flour
Cinnamon Crust
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Start by lining a 9inch x 13inch cake tin with parchment. This may seem big but it is a flatish style cake/cake bar. Preheat the oven to 180.
- Start with the base by blending the butter and sugar in a processor or with an electric whisk until fluffy. Add the salt.
- Combine the egg and milk and mix into the butter and sugar until combined. Finally sieve in the flour and baking powder and stir to form a thick batter.
- Spoon it into blobs into the lined tin and spread out evenly and thinly with a spatula
- Now for the gooey layer, beat the butter and sugar together (no need to wash the processor) with the salt until fluffy. Add the egg.
- Combine the syrup, vanilla and milk.
- Sieve in 1/3 of the flour followed by half the syrup-milk mix. Add another 1/3 of the flour and then the final half of the syrup. Finally mix int he final 1/3 of flour and blend until smooth and delectable.
- Scrap large spoonfuls of the batter on top of the base and spread out evenly with a spatula until flat.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and scatter generously over the top to form a crusty cinnamon coat
- Bake for 25 minutes. It should feel slightly soft but gently et in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave totally alone to cool before removing from the pan.
- Cut into bite size pieces if you like.
